Amalgamator, including electrical precipitation means



Aug. 23, '1949.

INCLUDING ELECTRICAL R. L.. GulzzETTl 2,479,615 AMALGAMATOR,

. l PRECIPITATION MEANS Filed April 1e, 194s 2 Sheets-Sheet l /4fior/nya Aug 23, 1949 R. GuizzETTl 42,479,615

AMALGAMATOR, INCLUDING ELECTRICAL PRECIPITATION MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2EHL? Filed April 16, 1948 Patented Aug. 23, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE AMALGAMATOR, INCLUDING ELECTRICAL PRECIPITATION MEANS Richard L.Guizzetti, Golden, Colo. Application April 1,6, 1948, Serial No. 21,447

placer methods of ore separation.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved apparatusfor separating gold from gold bearing sands by electrical precipitation,said apparatus being relatively simple in construction, easy to operateand providing a high degree of recovery of gold from the gold bearingsand, particularly where the ore material is highly comminuted so thatordinary gold separation apparatus cannot be eiectively employed.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentfrom the following description and claims, and from the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken through a goldseparating apparatus constructed in accordance with the presentinvention.

Figure 2 is a detail plan view of one of the electrode plates employedin the apparatus of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional detail view taken on line 3 3.of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional detail View taken on line 4-4 ofFigure 2.

Figure 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional detail view taken on line 5-5 ofFigure 2.

Figure 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional detail view taken on line 5-6 ofFigure 2. v

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary crosssectional View similar toFigure 3 but illustrating a modiiication of the present inventionwherein multiple electrode plates are employedA and wherein electricallycharged mercury is carried on both sides of the electrode plates.

Figure 8 is a schematic view illustrating the modication of theinvention wherein multiple electrode plates are employed.

Referring to the drawings, II designates a housing having a top wall I2in which is supported a generally funnel-shaped hopper I3. The outletspout of the hopper is designated at I4 and is provided With a heatercoil I5 wound on an insulating heat-resistant sleeve I6 encircling andsecured to outlet spout I4.

Mounted on top wall I2 are supports I1 and I8 .on which are journalledrespective rollers I9 and 20 carrying an end portion of a conveyor belt2| 4 Claims. (Cl. 209-179) which is adapted to feed ore into hopper I3from.

a suitable source.

, Designated at 22 is a hollow rectangular pedestal and projectingvertically from opposite walls thereof are respective post members 23and 24, preferably of insulating material. Threaded through the upperportions of post members 23 and 2,4 are respective horizontal sleevemembers 25 and 26 provided with hand wheels 2l and 28 for adjusting thesleeve members. Said sleeve members are internally threaded and engagedAtherein are respective horizontal shaft members 29 and 3U. Secured toshaft member 29 is a rst electrode plate 3I and secured to shaft member30 facing said rst electrode plate is a second electrode plate 3Isimilar in construction to the first plate.

Referring now to Figures 2 to 6, each electrode plate comprises arectangular body of insulating material formed with a plurality ofinclined, generally circular grooves 32, the ends of adjacent groovesbeing connected by semi-circular elbow conduits 33 embedded in the platebody. Communicating with the top groove is an inlet conduit 34 embeddedin said body and communicating with the end of the bottom groove is anoutlet conduit 35 similarly embedded. Secured to the f ace of the plateare a plurality of spaced vertical scraper bars 36 of` insulatingmaterial which traverse the respective inclined grooves 32 and whichhave blade-like projections 36 extending transversely across the upperportions of said grooves in the manner shown most clearly in Figure 6.From Figure 4, it will be seen that the grooves 32 have a relativelyhigh lower lip 31 which prevents liquid from escaping from the groovesas it iiows downwardly therein.

Designated at 38 is an electrode which projects into the too groove 32Aadjacent the inlet conduit 34. Electrode 38 is connected to one ter-nminal of a suitable source of high potential electricity such as anelectrostatic machine or its equivalent. The other terminal of saidsource is connected to the electrode 3 3 carried by the Opposing platemember Designated at 3.9 and 39 are respective mercury reservoirs ofinsulating material mounted on supporting brackets 40 and 4 0 secured tothe side walls. of housing I I. The reservoirs are connected throughrespective control valves V4I 4I and iiexible conduits 42 and 42' to theinlet conduits 34 of the electrode plates 3| and 3l. The outlet conduits3 5 of said plates are connected by respective conduits 43 and 43' to amercury still. Designated at 44 and 4 4' supply conduits leading fromthe still and are ranged tc supply distilled mercury to the respectivetanks 3 9 and 3 9'.

Designated at 45 is a ,discharge conveyor belt positioned below theelectrode plates 3I, 3|' and arranged to convey waste material passingdo wardiy between the plates out of housing I to a suitable dischargepoint.

In operation, gold bearing screened sand is deposited into hopper I3 byconveyor belt 2| and passes through the spout I4, where it is dried bythe action of heater coil I5. falls between the plates 3I and 3l and issubjected to a high electrical potential between the mercury streamsflowing in the grooves 32 of the two plates 3l and 3l'. The particles ofmaterial are attracted to the mercury with sufficient velocity to impartrelatively high momentum to the heavier gold particles. The goldparticles therefore acquire enough momentum to overcome the surfacetension of the mercury and to penetrate therein.- The mercury surfacebecomes covered with particles of dust which are scraped off by thescraper bars 36 asfthe mercury flows past said bars. The waste materialdrops down between the plates to the discharge conveyor belt and iscarried' off thereby. The gold is carried off by the mercury and isrecovered at the still. The distilled mercury is returned to tanks 39and 39 through the supply conduits 44, 44'.

By means of hand wheels 21 and 28, the spacing between the plates 3l and3|' may be adjusted to provide most efficient operation.

Referring now to Figures 7 and 8, the ore hopper is designated at 46,plurality of discharge spouts 41. The spouts are in close proximity to aheating winding 48 which dries the material passing throughthe spouts.Designated at 49 are spaced vertical electrode plates, each spout 41being positioned so as to discharge ore material between a pair ofadjacent plates. The plates 49 are formed with inclined grooves 32 ineach face in the same manner as shown in Figure 2, the grooves beingconnected by semi-circular elbows 33. Designated at 50 is a mercuryinlet conduit which is connected by means of branches 52 to the topgrooves of alternate plates 49. Designated at 59' is a second mercuryinlet conduit similarly connected to the top grooves of the remainingplates 49. The respective conduits 50 and 50' have projecting thereinelectrodes 53 connected respectively to the opposite terminals of asource of high potential electricity. Mercury is supplied to therespective conduits 5I'. The gold-bearing mercury leaves the platesthrough discharge conduits 54, 54 connected to the bottom grooves ofalternate plates and is delivered to the still where the gold isseparated from the mercury by distillation, as in the previouslydescribed embodiment of the invention.

The arrangement of Figures 7 and 8 enables a very substantial volume ofore material to be The dried material Vsaid hopper having a 50 and 59'from tanks 5I and i processed in a given period of time. Waste materialiscarried off in the same manner as described in connection with theembodiment of Figure 1.

While certain speci c embodiments of a system for recovering fine goldfrom gold bearing sands by electrical precipitation have been disclosedin the foregoing description, it will be understood that variousmodifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to thoseskilledrin the art.

Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed onV theinvention except as deiined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for separating precious metal particles from comminutedore comprising a hopper having a bottom opening, a pair of parallelterial will connecting the grooves prising a hopper having a verticalplate members separated by a small gap and positioned so that said gapis substantially below said bottom opening, said plate members. beingformed with inclined grooves in their opposing faces, conductive liquidstreams continuously movable through said grooves, and meansestablishing a high electrical potential between` the conductive liquidstreams in the respective plate members.

2. An apparatus for separating precious metal particles from comminutedore comprising ay hopper, outlet means at the bottom of said a pluralityof parallel vertical plate members positioned so that the gaps betweenadjacent faces thereof are below said outlet means and so that materialfrom the hopper may descend through said gaps, the adjacent faces of theplate members being formed with inclined grooves, conductive liquidstreams continuously moving through said grooves, and means establishinga high electrical potential between conductive liquid streams inadjacent plate faces whereby metal particles in the ore mabe acceleratedtoward the liquid as the ore material descends through the gaps.

3. An apparatus for separating precious metal particles from comminutedore material comprising a hopper having a bottom discharge opening,heating means at said discharge opening, a pair of parallel verticalplate members separated by a small gap and positioned so that said gapis substantially below said discharge opening, said plate members beingformed with inclined grooves in their opposing faces, means in each faceso as to define a continuous channel from the top of each plate to thebottom thereof, a respective stream of conductive liquid in the groovesof each plate member, and means establishing a high electrical potentialbetween the conductive liquid streams in the grooves in the opposingplate faces.

4. An apparatus for separating precious metal particles from comminutedore material combottom discharge opening, heating means at saiddischarge opening, a pair of parallel vertical plate members separatedby a small gap and positioned so that said gap is substantially belowsaid discharge opening, said plate members being formed with inclinedgrooves in their opposing faces, means connecting the grooves in eachface so as to deiine a continuous channel from the top of each plate tothe bottom thereof, a scraper bar secured to each face and traversingthe grooves thereof, a respective stream of conductive liquid in thegrooves of each plate member, and means establishing a high electricalpotential between the streams of conductive liquid in the grooves in theopposing plate faces.

RICHARD L. GUIZZETTI.

REFERENCES ci'rED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

